010117 bentobox

Japanese Culture | Hot Spots | Products

| Food

Jan. 2017

No. 23 FREE www.bentoboxmag.ca FUNE HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

ASAKUSA SHOWS THE FLAVOURS OF TOKYO

Take your seat at the revolving sushi bar

Diverse festivals in Japan’s capital Page 18

Page 08

i k a y n a p p e T Fire-hot

is ill Daring knife skk ts ien and fresh ingred r give you dinne and a show Page 04

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JANUARY 2017

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Contents

January 2017 No.23

Food

Featured

04 Fire-hot teppanyaki

10 Japanese toys

If you are looking for a unique and entertaining dining experience, look no further than one of Toronto’s sizzling-hot and mouth-watering teppanyaki restaurants.

Whether you prefer a classic game night or being on the cutting edge of technology, you’ll have fun with this month’s products.

28 Local events

08 A taste for everyone —and then some!

Located in the heart of the Theatre District, Fune has been serving Torontonians since the mid-nineties. Its Japanese dishes are prepared with love, skill and the freshest ingredients.

04

Celebrate Japanese culture in your own backyard.

Culture

30 New MUJI service For the first time in Canada, MUJI is offering free in-store advisory services to help you perfect your decorating.

22 Only in Japan Every day holds the potential for an all-ages Easter egg hunt with these capsule vending machines.

12 Getting fishy with it For seafood lovers, there is a Japanese delicacy that comes in many forms and must not be missed.

38 Hospitality at its best

Be dazzled with high-flying food and samurai-esque knife skills at one of Toronto’s thrilling teppanyaki spots

Travel

32 Film focus 18 Featured destination: Asakusa

This open-hearted gem urges young Japanese to give voice to their feelings in order to avoid social isolation. A film to lift the spirts and empty the tear ducts.

Live like the locals, sway with the rhythms of samba and stroll among the geisha in the Asakusa district of Tokyo.

Welcome back to your second home at Kinka Izakaya, where you can always expect a helping of warm service and hearty food.

34 On the ball

24 Mastering the art of coffee

The Cubs aren’t the only ones celebrating—long-suffering franchises in Nippon Pro Baseball also had glimmers of hope in 2016.

Art gallery meets dining experience at this cute café! Good for a bite and for finding souvenirs.

36 Memoir

08

What do teppanyaki chefs and magicians have in common? A magic touch.

Seafood is the specialty at this classic downtown restaurant, which serves up a truly succulent sashimi selection

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter

EDITOR’S NOTE

Nina Hoeschele

facebook.com/bentoboxmag

Welcome to 2017!

twitter.com/bentoboxmag

With January often comes a sense of guilt: the feeling like you should make drastic life changes, and the inevitable disappointment when you don’t quite go from couch potato to triathlete overnight. So, this year, why not focus on resolutions that will lift up your spirits?

-Celebrate the day-to-day. We may all need to eat—and it may sometimes be a chore—but that’s no reason to downplay the wonders of an extraordinary meal. Where to start? Consider sampling some teppanyaki (p. 04), which brings its own sort of magic to the dinner table (p. 36).

-Seek a new perspective. Whether through travel (p. 18) or making a change at home (p. 30), switching up your understanding of the world is always a worthy pursuit.

-Make time for your inner child. You can’t work all the time! Hearing new stories (p. 32) and taking the time for relaxation and play (p. 10) are important things that we adults too easily put on the backburner. In short: this year, give yourself permission to enjoy what life brings you!

Editors Nina Hoeschele, Amanda Plyley, Yumi Nishio Editorial coordinators Nina Hoeschele, Yumi Nishio Writers Amanda Plyley, Ariel Litteljohn, D’arcy Mulligan, James Heron, Jenny McKechnie, Junko Mita, Kathleen O’Hagan, M Crowson, Nicholas Jones, Nina Lee, Sheena Kirkbride, Yumi Nishio Designers Chiyako Mukai, Reiko Ema Photographer Kazu Maruyama Production assistants Ai Takaishi, Alexandra Weaver, Erin Kim, Kaori Sakamoto, Karin Yoshida, Kota Kai, Lisa Tower, Yoichiro Ishizuka Advertisement & marketing Maiko Kurotaki Publisher Kazu Maruyama

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Feature

By Ariel Litteljohn

If you are looking for a unique and entertaining dining experience, look no further than one of Toronto’s sizzlinghot and mouthwatering teppanyaki restaurants.

i k a y n a p p e T Fire-hot

Skilled chefs wow their audiences with samurai-like knife skills around a sizzling grill.

Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine where the food is cooked right in front of guests on a sizzling-hot iron plate. Teppanyaki literally means “iron cooking”—teppan meaning iron plate and yaki meaning grilled, broiled or pan-fried. Most modern teppanyaki griddles are propane-heated, with a typical horseshoe place-setting around the grill for diners, from where they both take in the show and enjoy their meals.

Chefs in Japan have long cooked on an iron grill, but it wasn’t until the mid-1940s that a restaurant featuring the artful method of teppanyaki cooking popped up in Tokyo. The year was 1945 and the Japanese restaurant chain was Misono. The dazzling, showy method of cooking proved to be more popular with foreigners than with Japanese. When Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki, a former Olympic wrestler and son of a Tokyo restaurateur, immigrated to New York in the 1960s and opened up Benihana of Tokyo just off Broadway, American diners could not get enough of the interactive dining experience. Patrons delighted in the theatrics of teppanyaki, as well as the novelty of watching their food being prepared right under their noses, being able to interact with

panyaki routines. Chefs often receive extensive training and spend many hours working behind the scenes at a restaurant before being promoted to showing off their skills (and humour) to diners. Another bonus of the teppanyaki experience: the dazzling knife skills of the chefs are serious enough to break the ice for awkward business meetings, first dates and holiday socials, and are also a great idea for large family gatherings, as children are sure to be kept entertained.

the masterful chefs and having control over how their food was seasoned and cooked.

Specially trained teppanyaki chefs often use samurai-style tanto knives, slicing hot morsels of food flying through the air above the grill with razor-sharp blades. Seasoned teppanyaki chefs make it all look easy, slicing and dicing with graceful precision, artfully directing food around on sizzling-hot griddles and then heaping it onto plates to enjoy. Flipping, tossing and catching eggs using shirt pockets and spatulas is a popular trick, while a flaming onion volcano is one of the more famous tep-

Typical ingredients used in teppanyaki are beef, fish, shrimp, lobster, scallops, chicken and assorted vegetables. Often, ingredients are cooked using soybean oil, mirin (sweet rice wine) and garlic butter, and dipping sauces are served as an accompaniment to the main dish. Teppanyaki is a fresh and light-tasting meal, with ingredients only lightly seasoned to enhance the natural flavours of the quality meats and seafood. Diners often are given input as to how their meal is cooked (how seasoned, how well done they prefer their meats). Finally, teppanyaki meals are most often accompanied by miso soup, Japanese green salad and dipping sauces.

What’s teppanyaki?

Since teppanyaki-style meals refer to the method of cooking, there are countless variations of ingredients. Various meats, seafood and vegetables are all worthy candidates for the teppanyaki table.

Vegetables

Onion

Seafood

【野菜】

【玉ねぎ】

【魚介】

Thinly sliced vegetables are a component of all teppanyaki meals, as well as being offered as their own full meal option. Popular choices include broccoli, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and zucchini.

A specialty on many teppanyaki menus is the flaming volcano onion tower. Sliced onion rings are stacked and then oil and sometimes vodka are poured through the middle, lighting the tower on fire.

Healthful and delicious seafood teppanyaki entrées are very popular, and can feature anything from seared scallops to sizzling shrimp or prawns, salmon, tuna and lobster tails.

Steak

Rice 【ご飯】

【ステーキ】

One of the most popular teppanyaki choices is premium cuts of beef, including ribeye, striploin and tenderloin.

Whatever your preference, the beef is juicy and tender, perfect to dip into the accompanying sauces!

Teppanyaki-style fried rice is combined with a selection of veggies, egg and meat proteins, fried on the grill with butter, oil, white or black pepper and/or mirin, and served in steaming heaps to diners.

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g n i ll i r G perf An established player on our city’s teppanyaki scene

Yamato

Japanese Restaurant

One of Toronto’s first teppanyaki restaurants, Yamato has been impressing diners with its teppanyaki tricks since 1983.

The teppanyaki area is an open-concept room featuring dramatic lighting and a number of large, horseshoeshaped teppanyaki tables. The most popular dish on the teppanyaki side of the restaurant (the other half of the restaurant is geared towards sushi) is the Imperial, featuring beef tenderloin, chicken, shrimp and an onion volcano. For diners watching their wallets, Yamato offers the same menu at lunch for a fraction of the dinner price.

Yamato Japanese Restaurant 24 Bellair St., Toronto | yamatorestaurant.ca | 416-927-0077 | OPEN: Mon–Fri ££\ÎäÊ> qÎÊ« ]ÊxÊ« q££Ê« ÊUÊ->Ìq-Õ Ê£ÓÊ« q£äÊ«

Only the finest ingredients at these grilling tables

Katsura

Japanese Restaurant 06

JANUARY 2017

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Katsura’s teppanyaki menu offers guests à la carte or set menu options. Diners can feast on Wagyu beef and vegetables, lobster, sushi-grade tuna and salmon, chicken and vegetarian options—all cooked in front of your eyes by the masterful chef. Ginger-garlic and white-wine mustard soy sauces are served for dipping.

Katsura Japanese Restaurant 900 York Mills Rd., Toronto (at the Westin Prince Hotel) | www.katsurarestaurant. com | 416-444-2511 or 647-259-3230 | OPEN: Mon 12 pm–2:30 pm, 5:30 pm– Ê« ÊUÊ/ÕiÃq À Ê£ÓÊ« qÓ\ÎäÊ« ]Êx\ÎäÊ« q£äÊ« ÊUÊ->ÌÊx\ÎäÊ« q£äÊ« ÊUÊ-Õ Ê 5:30 pm–9 pm

s e c n a m for A sizzling-hot newcomer to downtown Toronto The recently opened Hibachi steakhouse (the other two locations are in Burlington and Oakville) is a welcome addition to Toronto’s bustling King West strip. Menu highlights include generous portions of lobster tails, fiery garlic-butter shrimps, perfectly seared scallops and AAA striploin steak cooked on the teppanyaki grill over a generous mound of garlic butter. Chicken (with rice or noodles), salmon, tofu and veggie meals are also on the teppanyaki menu. For those diners craving raw fish, there are plenty of sushi options to choose from as well.

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Hibachi

Teppanyaki & Bar

More teppanyaki restaurants in town A steakhouse that truly makes the teppanyaki cut

Even more enjoyment with all-you-can-eat feasts

Expert grilling that’s renowned across North America

Prince Japanese Steakhouse offers traditional Japanese cuisine and masterful entertainment with its teppanyaki lunch and dinner shows. With an extensive menu, including its signature steaks, this restaurant provides quality food and a fun atmosphere.

Not only does this restaurant offer an extensive AYCE menu for lunch and dinner, the main star of the show is the teppanyaki—Matsuda’s specialty!

With features like the infamous onion volcano, these chefs put on a show that dazzles their diners.

Founded by Hiroaki Aoki, Benihana Japanese Steakhouse invented the Americanized version of teppanyaki cooking. Winner of WHERE magazine’s “Most Memorable Meal,” Benihana’s trained chefs are knifejuggling masters of entertainment.

Prince Japanese Steakhouse

Matsuda Japanese Cuisine

Benihana

5555 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto | 416-695-2828 "* \Ê Õ V \Ê q À Ê££\ÎäÊ> qÎÊ« ÊUÊ iÀ\Ê -Õ q/ ÕÀÃÊxÊ« q£äÊ« ÊUÊ À q->ÌÊxÊ« q££Ê«

£ÎääÊ Ê ÃÊ,`°Ê Ó]Ê ÀÌ Ê9 À ÊNÊÜÜÜ° >ÌÃÕ`> sushi.com | 416-391-9188 | OPEN: Mon–Fri 11:30 am–3 « ]Ê{\ÎäÊ« q££\ÎäÊ« ÊUÊ->Ìq-Õ Ê££\ÎäÊ> q££\ÎäÊ«

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07

Best o Best off T Toronto oronto

By Ariel Litteljohn Restaurant

Take a frontrow seat The revolving sushi bar is the seat to have if you want a little bit of everything—and to watch the talented sushi chefs at work.

A taste for everyone —and then some!

Located in the heart of the Theatre District, Fune has been serving Torontonians since the mid-nineties. Its Japanese dishes are prepared with love, skill and the freshest ingredients.

Hungry for more? Let’s dig in!

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Sushi on the go

Grab yourself a slice Sushi pizza is a popular item with customers. A generous topping of salmon or tuna rests on perfectly crunchy rice, drizzled with a spicy mayo sauce.

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Another dazzling performance / / « ÌV Êà ViÃÊ vÊÃi>v `Ê>Ì «Ê«iÀviVÌÊ« ÀÌ ÃÊ vÊ Vi ÞÊV i`ÊÀ Vi]ÊÃiÀÛi`ÊLià `iÊ« Õ «Ê> `Ê}i iÀ ÕÃÊ

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Sizzling sweet shrimp -ÕVVÕ i ÌÊÃ À «Ê>ÀiÊV i`ÊLiv ÀiÊÞ ÕÀÊiÞiÃÊ>ÌÊÌ iÊ Ì>L i]ÊÜ iÀiÊÞ ÕÊV> ÊÃ >ÌV ÊÌ i Ê vvÊÌ iÊhibachiÊ}À Ê > `Ê i>`ÊÃÌÀ> } ÌÊv ÀÊÌ iÊ>VV «> Þ }ÊÃiÃ> iÊÃ>ÕVi°

Fune Japanese Restaurant funerestaurant.com TEL: 416-599-3868 100 Simcoe St., Toronto "* \Ê Õ V \Ê q À Ê££\ÎäÊ> qÓ\ÎäÊ« ÊUÊ->Ìq-Õ Ê V Ãi`ÊUÊ iÀ\Ê > ÞÊxÊ« q Ãi

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JANUARY 2017

09

Hot

Featured

in

Japan

PRODUCTS Whether you prefer a classic game night or being on the cutting edge of technology, you’ll have fun with this month’s products.

01

Towering sushi rolls Your favourite game from the ’80s is back with fun new features.

Play with your food The Oh! Sushi Game features 48 blocks in eight sushi varieties, chopsticks, a die and instructions.

Now, here is a brilliant combination of two awesome things—melding classic tower-stacking gameplay with a cool Japanese twist. In addition to playing this familiar game the old-school way, you can try out a few new variations. Here are some of the ways that the Oh! Sushi Game keeps things interesting: in one version, roll the die to determine which kind of block you need to remove and place on top of the tower. Or, play it like Russian roulette by hiding a game-ending wasabi card in one of the blocks. Make everyone pick up the sushi blocks with chopsticks, or just compete to see who can make the tallest or coolest tower. You can also learn the many names for different sushi rolls by playing with the included “match the sushi block” game. This is a perfect diversion for family and friends during game night or on a cold, snowy winter evening!

More info about this product

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JANUARY 2017

Happy and active!

Have fun with an assortment of sushi rolls that are sure to satisfy you.

EYEUP co.,LTD | www.eyeup.co.jp (To order, search “Oh! Sushi Game” at Japan Trend d Shop h | www.japantrendshop.com) dh

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02

Affordable virtual reality Unfold a new world with your smartphone.

Who would have thought that a piece of cardboard could be your portal into a new world? Your smartphone has all of the gyroscopic sensors and positioning systems needed to track your head movements, so you can actually dive into virtual reality by simply attaching this innovative contraption to your smartphone and your head. By downloading the Hacosco app or various other virtual reality apps, you’ll have endless access to virtual reality videos and images with a 360° panoramic view that moves with your head. The viewer can even be customized with your own design or logo.

Peek into a whole new reality

I’m »\LQJ

More info about this product HACOSCO INC. | Hacosco.com/en/ (To order, search ”Hacosco” at amazon.ca)

03

THE LITTLEST CAMERA DRONE Nimble, quick and light, this little daredevil doesn’t just fly and capture clear and stable images—it does tricks, too.

Wi-Fi-enabled drone The drone and your smartphone are seamlessly integrated and connected to the Internet, making it easy to send images to friends and family.

With so many different types of drones being out there these days, it may be a little overwhelming to figure out which one fits your needs and budget. The PXY Wi-Fi Quadcopter is the perfect little gadget for both enthusiasts and first-time drone owners who want something that is intuitive and easy to use. Its small size makes it easy to carry around for those unexpectedly capture-worthy moments, and with a simple snap of your smartphone to the controller, you can be instantly connected to live images from your drone. You’ll never want to leave your home without it again.

More info about this product G-Force Inc. | www.gforce-hobby.jp/ index-en.html (To order, search ”PXY” at global.rakuten.com/en)

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JANUARY 2017

11

Flavour of the month

By Amanda Plyley Ingredient

デコ弁当やキャラクター弁当にも大活躍の かまぼこ。白身魚から作る伝統の味。 poached, steamed or added as an ingredient to hot soups and noodle dishes. Low in fat but high in protein, minerals and essential amino acids, kamaboko is a welcome addition to any diet and has even been shown to have anti-oxidative effects.

If you’re planning a trip to Japan and have yet to try kamaboko, there’s no shortage of places and ways to taste it. Kamaboko is commonly found in Japanese supermarkets and restaurants. As an added bonus, it’s often artfully decorated with unique and intricate patterns. Red and white kamaboko are common in the setting of a holiday or celebratory meal, since red has long been considered a lucky colour according to samurai custom.

Kamaboko Getting fishy with it 蒲鉾【かまぼこ】 holiday dinner tables, kamaboko is a staple in Japan and neighbouring regions like South Korea and Hawaii.

Finally, no education in kamaboko would be complete without a visit to the Suzuhiro Kamaboko Museum in Odawara, just outside of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture. Plan a day trip and explore the museum, restaurants and shops (featuring adorable kamaboko-themed children’s books and toys) before diving into a hands-on kamaboko cooking class taught by masters of the craft.

Kamaboko, or surimi (literally “ground meat”) as it is commonly called, consists of various kinds of fresh white fish that are filleted and pounded or puréed into a paste before being combined with egg whites, fish sauce, salt, sugar and sake.

Shaped into medium-sized, often D-shaped loaves, the paste can then be baked, deep-fried,

Kamaboko can be enjoyed any day of the year but particularly on November 15, the date officially designated as Kamaboko Day. Go the traditional route and steam your loaves on wooden planks before gathering with family and friends and serving kamaboko chilled with savoury dipping sauces. There’s no other fish quite like it.

For seafood lovers, there is a Japanese delicacy that comes in many forms and must not be missed.

Fish cake, fish loaves, fish paste or fish sausages.

Baked, fried, poached or steamed. No matter what you call it or how you prepare it, there’s no denying that kamaboko is one of Japan’s favourite fishy snacks. Well-known and loved across the country, kamaboko is highly regarded for its taste, texture, nutritional value and versatility. Dating back to the 14th century and originating as a minced catfish delicacy, kamaboko has evolved into a delicious addition to both everyday meals and special occasions. From street food stalls to

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Outside Japan, kamaboko has been adopted as well. In South Korea, it’s called eomuk and you’ll find it sold from street carts, boiled or deep-fried on a skewer and served with ketchup or mustard as a late-night snack. In Hawaii, pink kamaboko is popular and readily available in grocery stores.

It’s also a key ingredient in saimin, an Asian fusion noodle soup native to Hawaii.

1314 Queen Street West Toronto M6K1L4 phone: 647-351-1314

www.guu-izakaya.com

新情報はこちらのSNSをチェック！

Guu Izakaya Toronto

GuuIzakayaTo

GuuIzakayaTo

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JANUARY 2017

13

G O Let's

llearn earn

N I H O N G O

easy JJapanese apanese

What to say at a homestay Homestays are a popular way to learn another language and about other cultures. If you’re interested in participating in a homestay through a cultural exchange, there are many opportunities listed at the Japan Foundation Toronto Library, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre and in bits magazine.

Intermediate Nice to meet you!

Try to spend time with your host family as much as possible. Check your host family’s daily routine by using Nanjini (何時に, What time) + daily routine + ka (か, Question particle). E.g.: Nanjini nemasuka? （何時にねますか？ What time do you go to bed?).

お父さん、 お母さん、 本当にお世話になりました。

はじめまして！ Hajimemashite!

What time do you usually eat breakfast?

Beginner It’s important to make a good first impression with your host family. When you enter their home, try starting with a humble phrase, such as Ojamashimasu (おじゃまします。I am sorry for intruding).

Thank you for taking care of me, Father and Mother.

Otousan, okaasan, hontouni osewani narimashita.

いつも何時に 朝ご飯を食べますか？ Itsumo nanjini asagohanwo tabemasuka?

Advanced Saying goodbye is just as important as saying hello.

Consider inviting your host family to your home.

Itsuka kanadani korarerusainiwa, zehi gorenraku kudasai (いつかカナダに来られる際には、是非ご連絡ください。 Please let me know if you ever come to Canada).

Compiled by Nina Lee and Kozumi Miya-Woolford. Brought to you by the Toronto Japanese Language School | www.tjls.ca | @tjlsca | principal@tjls.ca

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Illustration by Reiko Ema

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ME

goto kyo . o rg and to kyo . jp/e n / Tokyo is continually generating new styles and subcultures at the intersection of tradition and innovation. The city is always encountering and connecting with new ideas that create its unique charms.

The emotions and experiences that await you in Tokyo are sure to transcend your expectations. You will take on the role of the architect of your own experience as you create your ideal Tokyo rendezvous.

CONNECT WITH TOKYO FOR A NEW BEGINNING!

Featured destination

By N By Nina ina Lee Lee Travel

東京 東 東京の下町、 京の 京の の下 下町 町、 、 浅草でグルメと神社仏閣めぐり。 浅草 浅 草でグ 草で でグル ルメ メと と神 神社仏 社仏閣 閣め めぐ ぐり り。 ©Shutterstock.com

Asakusa

Live like the locals, sway with the rhythms of samba and stroll among the geisha in the Asakusa district of Tokyo.

Located in northeast Tokyo, sandwiched between Ueno Park and Sumida River, Asakusa (浅草) was originally an entertainment district. In the Edo period, Asakusa saw theatres and geisha houses built when the area was flooded with disposable income from nearby Kuramae. In the early 20th century, Tokyoites began to frequent Denkikan, the first movie theatre built in Japan, in Asakusa’s Rokku theatre district. Today, Sensͻ-ji temple looms over a neighbourhood filled with low-rise buildings, small guest houses, hostels, independent shops and restaurants.

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Once a destination for revellers, Asakusa now tends to attract the pious and the shoppers. It’s the home of Sensͻ-ji (浅草寺), a massive Buddhist temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon.

Sensͻ-ji was founded in 628 when two brothers pulled the statue of the Bodhisattva Kannon from the Sumida River. Seventeen years later the original temple was built (and later rebuilt following the Second World War bombings). A shrine dedicated to Nishinomiya Inari is also located on the premises, along with Kaminarimon, or “Thunder Gate,” the structure that announces the entrance

Celebrate at Tokyo’s diverse festivals and carnivals

Asakusa 【浅草】

©JNTO

to the massive complex. After walking underneath the imposing gate and under the gigantic paper lantern, visitors meander past the shops on Nakamise-dori. These shops are a great place to pick up traditional crafts like kokeshi (wooden dolls), kamifusen (rice paper balloons), ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), kintaro ame, konpeito and temari (all types of hard candy). Beyond the shops of Nakamise-dori is Hozͻmon, which houses many of Sensͻ-ji’s treasures, including the Lotus Sutra, a designated Japanese National Treasure.

Throughout the complex are guardian statues depicting Shinto and Buddhist gods like F΍jin, Raijin, Tenry΍ and Kinry΍. The temple complex is near and dear to the hearts of Tokyoites, as it is often the first place they visit in the new year.

Sanja Matsuri (Three Shrine Festival, 三社祭) is held every year in late May, and is the wildest and largest of the three great Shinto festivals in Tokyo. The festival began in the 7th century and has continued annually in various forms ever since.

Sanja Matsuri centres around a large parade with three mikoshi (portable shrines), yosakoi-style dancing and music. The festival takes place over three days, attracting up to two million visitors annually.

Sensͻ-ji is central to numerous festivals held in Asakusa—following the ringing of the joya-nokane (New Year’s Eve bell) 108 times, Hatsumͻde (初詣) is celebrated in early January. During this festival, the temple sees millions of revellers line up to make New Year’s wishes, watch parades and consume delicious street foods like okonomiyaki, ningyo-yaki, karaage, chocolate-covered bananas and amazake, a sweet drink made from fermented rice and served warm.

At the end of August, sway your hips to the beat of the annual Samba Carnival. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan, and as a result, the two countries have always had strong ties. Asakusa began hosting the annual Samba Carnival in 1981 when the district mayor invited one of the dance teams from Rio to perform on the streets of Asakusa. The rest, as they say, is history. The carnival is regularly named the top summer festival in Tokyo, and it consists of a parade where dance teams compete with ornate costumes, live music and dance moves that rival their Rio cousins.

Setsubun (節分) is celebrated annually at Sensͻ-ji on February 3 to herald the start of spring. The festival’s custom has priests and special guests (often sumo wrestlers and other celebrities) throwing roasted soybeans wrapped in gold or silver foil, candies and small envelopes filled with money at the revellers. This popular festival regularly sees over a hundred thousand people attend every year.

Hitch a ride and see the sights!

You can watch fireworks with the locals over the Sumida River during the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival at the end of July. This popular festival has been immortalized in many romantic films and anime.

The Tokyo Jidai Matsuri celebrates the history of Tokyo and is held on November 3 every year.

The parade begins and ends at Sensͻ-ji, and is comprised of more than 1,600 participants in costumes representing Edo and Tokyo’s history from the 7th century up until the modern era. ©JNTO

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Asakusa’s eats and treats

Unique flavours and one-ofa-kind omiyage (souvenirs) abound in the Nakamise-dori and Kappabashi historic shopping districts, making Asakusa a must-see for local foodies and tourists.

©ACworks Co.Ltd.

Food & souvenirs

Omiyage: Plastic food models, or shokuhin sampuru, are displayed prominently in the windows of virtually every restaurant in Japan. These unique souvenirs are available as keychains, magnets and models at the shops in Kappabashi.

Food: Ningyo-yaki are small, tasty cakes filled with anko (sweet red bean paste, 餡子). The ones sold in Nakamise-dori are shaped like the lantern hanging in Kaminarimon gate.

The district’s tourism centre ©Kevin Nishijima

Asakusa is more than temples and festivals, however. It is also the location of the oldest (and one of the few remaining) geisha districts in Tokyo.

While it is difficult to procure an invitation to one of the hidden teahouses where geisha perform their traditional arts, it is possible to see them nip outside for a bit of air in the streets near Sensͻji. True to its history as Tokyo’s original entertainment district, Asakusa is also home to Japan’s oldest amusement park, Hanayashiki. The park was opened in 1853, the same year Commodore Perry arrived in Japan, and while the rides have been updated, the park itself maintains its historical atmosphere.

Tokyoites and tourists alike flock to Kappabashi, or “Kitchen Town,” a historic shopping district where kitchen utensils of all sorts are sold: Japanese steel knives, wooden pot lids and even plastic models of food! Like Nakamise-dori, Kappabashi is a great place to pick up unique souvenirs and memories from your visit to Tokyo.

All photos ©Toyooka City Photo Library unless otherwise noted

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Cultural curiosity

By M Crowson Only in Japan

Getcha hands on Gachapon Every day holds the potential for an all-ages Easter egg hunt with these capsule vending machines. ガチャガチャは、もはや子供のおもちゃではない。クオリティーの高さからハマる人続出！？ Are you a collector? A lover of charming knickknacks and adorable objects? Then you probably already know that Japan has the cute market firmly cornered, but if you’ve never had a chance to hit the island country in person, you may not know about the quirky phenomenon that is most frequently called Gachapon (ガチャ ポン): small vending machines that dispense toys in egg-shaped plastic containers.

Hello, . . . w w A baby e l t t i l my

At first glance, the machines might seem similar to the coin-operated toy dispensers we see in the West, but don’t be fooled. For one, even the trademarked name Gachapon is more fun than the English version.

Also sometimes called Gashapon, the name is inspired by the machine’s fun sounds. Gacha is the sound of the machine crank turning, and pon is the sound of the egg dropping into the chute and your hot little hands.

The machines are coin-operated and each egg costs between ¥100 and ¥500, but unlike the trinkets in Western toy machines, these eggs are full of relatively high-quality, often limited-edition figurines made of PVC plastic, with detailed moulding and careful paint jobs—the rarest among them even become high-value collector’s items. You can buy capsule toy figures from your favourite manga or

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video games, or even J-pop idols, and the figurines range from adorable tiny Pikachu to terrifying, long-haired mini Sadakos from The Ring. The impressive range of characters ensures that these toys are appealing to kids and adults of all ages, and

part of the fun is the challenge of trying to collect a full set.

But what really sets capsule toys apart is the more unexpected selections— like a mind-boggling range of beanies for your pet cat or costume hats for your dog. How about giving your fingers a workout with some Finger Up exercise equipment? If you don’t feel like working out your digits on the tiniest workout bench in the world, there are plenty of other options. You can forgo coasters and buy a full set of capsule machine underwear for your water bottle, or give your juice bottle a high-class touch with a set of sweaters tossed around its non-existent shoulders. And these machines can be found all over the country, in restaurants, gaming arcades and cafés.

If you have a chance to go to Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan—or capsule toy alley—you can take your pick of over 400 different machines.

These days, capsule toy makers are innovating to keep up with the times, and toy company Bandai has started making Net de Capsule, remotely operated machines that deliver toys to collectors’ doorsteps. This might be appealing for people who want to avoid the crowds, but for most, the treasure-hunt experience is part of the charm.

Good things come in small capsules

DON’T TOY WITH THE RULES If you want to dive into the weird world of capsule toys, just follow these three simple tips:

What’s with mwe rong ?

DO collect them all.

Impress your friends by getting a full set from limited-edition, themed capsule machines.

DO bring lots of coinage.

Especially ¥100 coins, because you can’t buy these babies with bills or credits cards.

Are yo ready? u

DON’T shake the machine.

… no matter how badly you’re angling for a specific egg.

Illustrations by Reiko Ema

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One-of-a-kind dining

By Jenny McKechnie Restaurant in Tokyo

三軒茶屋のとびきり可愛いカフェ＆雑貨店。 居心地のよい空間でほっと一息。

Art gallery meets dining experience at this cute café!

Good for a bite and for finding souvenirs.

Looking for an intimate spot to have a coffee and a quiet chat with a friend, or a space to relax and peruse your favourite novel while visiting Japan’s largest city? Café & Gallery Lupopo may be exactly what you need—with the added benefit of offering some unique souvenirs for you to pick up while you are there.

Lupopo is located in Tokyo’s Sangen-jaya neighbourhood, part of the city’s Setagaya district.

Known for its eclectic shopping, greenery and nightlife, Sangen-jaya is an area worthy of a stop—and Lupopo makes a trip even more worth24

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while. A perfect space for a bite to eat, or just a place to regroup with a coffee or a glass of wine, Lupopo po offers a genuinely serene atmosphere— ere— enough to bring calm to the busy traveller, even for a few minutes.

From the outside, this café immediately draws the eye with its unique facade and a number of plants stacked neatly to one side. The large, wooden door, often propped open in nice weather, warmly greets passersby, inviting them in. Once inside, the warmth of Lupopo continues. Gentle lighting

accentuates the natural ac ral woods of the ta tables and floors as well as the textured stucco walls. Delicate features like ture a small stained glass window only add to the charming feel of the space. And on top of its cosy atmosphere, Lupopo is made even more comfortable by the friendly staff who are only too happy to assist customers during their visit.

For busy travellers looking for a healthy lunch or light dinner, Lupopo offers a selection of tasty dishes ranging from soups and salads, to pasta dishes, to—my favourite—desserts. This is an

Add some creativity to your lunch

Art 101 Feeling artsy? Here are some facts for your visit:

Looking for natural beauty? The Setagaya district’s official bird is the azure-winged magpie.

Explore art in the area: visit the Setagaya Art Museum located at 1-2 Kinuta-koen, Setagaya-ku.

Want to show off some knowledge of the Japanese art world? Check out the works of contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.

Combine art and coffee—ask the staff at Lupopo for some latte art and dazzle your senses.

ealthy Hearty and hrk mas ter wo s ideal place to stop if you are looking to warm your stomach with a meal that tastes like your mother’s home cooking, without feeling overly stuffed and sleepy afterward. Nobody enjoys touring around a new city on an uncomfortably full tummy! The food here is fresh and delicious and can be enjoyed while sipping a wine or beer (or a non-alcoholic bevvy!). Be sure to top off your meal with one of the baked goods for dessert—with chocolate cake and cheesecake on offer, you can’t go wrong. Finish off your dining experience with a latte, and you should be satisfied, energized and good to get back on your feet once again.

In terms of cost, Lupopo’s menu is very reasonable. Grab a soup and sandwich for around $10 Canadian, or a pasta dish for about the same. Salads run around $7, while beverages are all in the

Take some time to peruse the guestbook at Lupopo. Rumour has it that many guests leave beautiful illustrations behind for future visitors to explore!

$5 to $6 range. Decent prices for excellent food with a twist.…

Perhaps the most interesting part of Lupopo can’t be found on the menu. In addition to the comfy sitting area and yummy food choices, Lupopo is known for its mini-gallery where local artisans put their masterpieces up for sale. This is the ideal time-saver for the busy traveller: eat, drink and buy souvenirs for family back home, all in one go! Hand-crafted and original items are for sale in the café and range from purses to jewelry to beautifully delicate miniature felt animals. These artistic treasures give you a unique way to commemorate your trip to Tokyo—and, best of all, they will remind you of the lovely day you spent in this quaint café!

Café & Gallery Lupopo

Located a two-minute walk from Sangen-jaya Station on Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line or Tokyu Setagaya Line. lupopo.net (Japanese language only) TEL: 03-6228-1097 1-35-20 Sangen-jaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo OPEN HOURS / ÕÀÃq Ê££\ÎäÊ> qÇ\ÎäÊ« ÊUÊ/ÕiÃq7i`Ê closed

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1-Day Snow Monkey Tour

Round-trip from Tokyo

1 Visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park, a worldfamous park where Japanese Macaques can be seen up close as they freely soak in the hot spring.

The hot spring bath here is exclusively for wild monkeys, the only spring of its kind in the world.

Enjoy seeing the monkeys’ expressions while they spend time relaxing in the hot spring.

2 Visit the Zenko-ji Temple, a designated National Treasure built roughly 1,400 years ago. It is one of Japan’s most remarkable wooden structures, rivalling Todai-ji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall.

3 Just a Shinkansen ride from Tokyo Station! The guide will meet participants at Nagano Station.

TOUR BASIC INFORMATION Departure city: Tokyo Visits: Nagano Duration: approx. 11 hours English-speaking guide, lunch, other admission fees and transportation costs included in the tour.

PRICE

CAD $

300

*Price is valid for the month of January 2017 *Price may fluctuate due to change in exchange rate.

HOW TO PURCHASE Reservations can be made by either telephone or email. Please contact JTB International (Canada) Ltd. at Phone: 416-367-5824 | Toll-free: 1-800-268-5942 | Email: jtbtoronto@jtbi.com | Website: www.jtb.ca

I T I N E R A RY

8:00

Depart from Tokyo Station

Head to Nagano Station via Nagano Shinkansen

110

Yudanaka Station Head to Kanbayashi Onsen-guchi via taxi.

min

35

Walk to Kanbayashi Onsen-guchi.

10

min

min

10:00

Depart from Kanbayashi Onsen-guchi

Kanbayashi Onsen-guchi

Nagano Station

Meet with the interpreter guide and participants on the “From Nagano” tour at Nagano Station.

Head to Yudanaka Station via taxi.

Walk to Jigokudani Monkey Park.

Zenko-ji Temple and Lunch 60

min

Visit Zenko-ji Temple, which boasts 1,400 years of rich history. Its main hall is a designated national treasure. *The meal for lunch includes soba (buckwheat) noodles, a Nagano specialty. As traces of buckwheat flour may be present in all dishes from the kitchen, those with allergies may be unable to enter.

Depart from Zenkoji Station 60

min

35

10

min

Jigokudani Monkey Park 50

min

At the Jigokudani Monkey Park, you can get up close with Japanese macaques as they relax in the local hot spring. This worldfamous park is one-of-a-kind: it is the only hot spring on earth that is reserved exclusively for bathing monkeys.

Take a walk through the park and watch the adorable monkeys as they unwind.

min

Yudanaka . Station Take a train from Yudanaka Station to Nagano Station.

60

min

16:30

Nagano Station

Depart from Nagano Station and head to Tokyo Station via Shinkansen.

Guide service ends at this point.

110 min

18:30

Arrive at Tokyo Station

Tour ends at Tokyo Station.

Please proceed to your next destination on your own after the tour.

*The walking path from Kanbayashi Onsen-guchi to Jigokudani Monkey Park (1.6 km one way, about 30 min on foot) may be frozen and slippery if there is snow. Please wear winter boots or other non-slip footwear to walk in.

All photos ©JNTO

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What’s happening?

January 2017 Events again, celebrating cosplay, interactive experiences and all things nerd! This event for all ages is hosted by Themuseum. Attractions include meet & greet spaces for fans and cosplayers, special guests Tamsen McDonough and Thom Allison of Killjoys, entertainment, panels, group discussions, crafting, workshops, maker space activities, gaming zones and much more!

Anime Shogatsu 2017 Saturday, January 14, 10 am–10 pm | $15 | The Michener Institute of Education at UHN (222 St Patrick’s St., Toronto) | More info: animeshogatsu.com Celebrate anime culture and the Japanese New Year! Activities include games, workshops, lectures, showcases, masquerades, live performances and more! This year’ s featured guests include anime voice actor Matt Smith, Mel Colley Arts and Crafts, and Baeged Cosplays. Doors open at 9 am.

Tetsuro Shigematsu’s Empire of the Son Factory is proud to present the Toronto premiere of Empire of the Son, the exhilaratingly original multimedia one-man show by actor, comedian, writer and former CBC radio broadcaster Tetsuro Shigematsu. From the ashes of Hiroshima to swinging 1960s London, Empire of the Son tells the dynamic story of Shigematsu and his emotionally distant and stoic father, Akira, also a former public broadcaster. A compelling father and son story,

Empire of the Son is also the story of three generations of a Japanese family separated by language, culture and history. Empire of the Son is a deeply thoughtful portrayal of parent/child relationships.

This show first wowed critics and audiences when it sold out its first run at The Cultch in Vancouver, in 2015, before it even opened. Empire of the Son is written by Tetsuro Shigematsu and directed

by Richard Wolfe.

Wednesday, January 18, 8 pm–Sunday, January 29, 2 pm | $25–$35 | Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst St., Toronto) | More info: factorytheatre.ca, 416-504-9971

Film The Films of Studio Ghibli Until Tuesday, January 10 | Adults $14, Seniors/ Students $11.50, Youth $10 | TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King St. W., Toronto) | More info: www.tiff.net > Perfect for the holiday season, Studio Ghibli’s iconic films return to the TIFF Bell Lightbox! Favourites such as The Secret World of Arrietty and The Cat Returns as well as My Neighbors the Yamadas and Grave of the Fireflies will continue to be showcased until January 10. A total of 23 films will be screened, so come experience the timeless magic of the renowned animation studio on the big screen! Tickets can be purchased online, and a full list of films and showtimes is available on the TIFF website. As there is no assigned seating, arrive at the venue early to secure a good spot.

More info: www.jccc.on.ca > The Anthem of the Heart, directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai, was nominated for last year’s Japanese Academy Prize for Best Animated Film. This popular, critical hit is about Jun Naruse, a girl who was living happily until an unfortunate choice of words tore her family apart. As punishment for her actions a magical fairy sealed away Jun’s ability to speak. Though she has resigned herself to this fate, a series of changes in Jun’s life begins to happen—including being given the lead in the school musical. Could they restore her former happiness? A moving combination of opulent animation, gorgeous music and big emotion.

Sunday, January 29, 1 pm | $12 | Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (6 Garamond Ct., Toronto) 28

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Sunday, January 22, 11 am–3 pm | General $7, Family $16, Seniors/Children $4 | Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (6 Garamond Ct., Toronto) More info: www.jccc.on.ca > Celebrate 2017 at the JCCC’s New Year’s festival! Attractions include traditional mochi making, lion dance, mikoshi, calligraphy, matcha serving, a children’s fun area, udon noodles, o-mochi and a variety of vendors. The first 100 visitors receive otoshidama (New Year’s gift).

Japanese Cooking Workshop Monday, January 23, 7 pm–10 pm | $40 | Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (6 Garamond Ct., Toronto) | More info: www.jccc.on.ca > Learn to cook easy, healthy, delicious Japanese main meals with Chef Shoji in one of five cooking workshops. Focusing on taste, techniques and special ingredients, each workshop consists of an hour of instruction and demonstration, an hour for hands-on cooking, and an hour for tasting and cleaning. In the January session, students will learn how to cook a main Japanese meal. There will also be a March session (tempura) that is scheduled and accepting registration. A material fee of $10 is payable to the instructor and an apron, large sharp knife and paring knife are required for each workshop. Pre-registration is also required.

Origami Workshop

Other Tri-Con KW 2017

January Movie Night: The Anthem of the Heart

Oshogatsu Kai 2017

Saturday, January 14, 10 am–7 pm | $17.70 | Themuseum (10 King St. W., Kitchener, Ontario) | More info: www.themuseum.ca/exhibition/tri-con-2017 > Waterloo Region’s annual convention is back

Wednesday, January 25, 7:30 pm–9 pm | $10 Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (6 Garamond Ct., Toronto) | More info: www.jccc.on.ca, www.origamiToronto.org > Learn how to fold traditional favourites and new models with John Jay Guppy from the Origami Society of Toronto. All paper is provided and expert help is available.

Japanese design, tailored to your space MUJI Yorkdale’s Interior Advisor service wants to help you simplify your home so you can focus on what matters.

Willie Lam

This mantra of simplifying your environment to simplify your life is most powerful when applied to the housewares that we rely on every day: the desks we work at and the beds we sleep in.

Interior Advisor at MUJI Yorkdale

MUJI’s recently opened Yorkdale location is offering a new Interior Advisor service to connect customers with a selection of housewares and help them decorate their homes. This service has been receiving rave reviews in Japan for years, but Yorkdale is the first MUJI location in Canada to offer the Interior Advisor service.

It’s in deference to the impact your desk can have on how well you work that MUJI introduced the Interior Advisor service. Anyone can pick out minimalist furniture from the local Scandinavian retailer, but MUJI’s Interior Advisor service gives an understanding, human face to minimalist Japanese design.

Yorkdale’s Interior Advisor Willie Lam has been a believer in MUJI’s minimalist brand since well

A lot of people’s first experience of MUJI comes through the brand’s simple yet remarkably stylish stationery and clothing lines. Both are designed around the idea that the environment we live in greatly influences our lifestyle. MUJI believes that a simpler, more compact environment can help us to minimize distractions and focus on the most important aspects of our lives.

before it arrived on Canadian shores. MUJI first made an impact on Willie when he was introduced to the brand in Southeast Asia some six years ago. Willie joined the company two years ago, and the move felt like the perfect combination of his personal, minimalist design esthetic and his years of professional training in Environmental Design.

In his role as Interior Advisor, Willie gets to know customers and their unique needs with a couple of consultations. Right in the store, he can create a customized 3D model of the space you’re looking to furnish and visualize how the pieces of furniture you’re considering will fit there. Then, once you’ve found the layout and pieces that work best for you, he can arrange for the furniture you choose to be delivered to your door.

The Interior Advisor service is available at no additional charge from the MUJI Yorkdale location. To book your consultation with Willie, simply stop by the store or call ahead and ask for the Interior Advisor.

By Nicholas Jones

Plan out your ideal space right in the store

Simple products that will change your way of living

For more information

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MUJI Atrium

MUJI Square One

MUJI Yorkdale

Atrium, 20 Dundas St. W., C-03, Toronto | TEL: 416-591-2233

Square One Shopping Centre, 100 City Centre Dr., Mississauga TEL: 905-276-2737

3401 Dufferin St., Toronto

Store Hours: Mon–Fri 10 am–8 pm ->ÌÊ£äÊ> qÇÊ« ÊUÊ-Õ Ê££Ê> qxÊ«

Store Hours: Mon–Fri 10 am–9 pm ->ÌÊ \ÎäÊ> q Ê« ÊUÊ-Õ Ê££Ê> qÇÊ«

Store Hours: Mon–Fri 10 am–9 pm ->ÌÊ \ÎäÊ> q Ê« ÊUÊ-Õ Ê££Ê> qÇÊ«

TEL: 416-479-1204

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Film focus

By James Heron Movie

Beautiful words, beautiful world This open-hearted gem urges young Japanese to give voice to their feelings in order to avoid social isolation. A film to lift the spirts and empty the tear ducts.

&(/" "' ( The Anthem of the Heart (2015) Directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai Screenplay by Mari Okada, based on original story by CHO HEIWA BUSTERS Voiced by Inori Minase, Koki Uchiyama, Sora Amamiya and Yoshimasa Hosoya Opening theme sung by Nogizaka 46

© Photo courtesy of ELEVEN ARTS

When a young girl’s unguarded words inadvertently tear her family apart, her ability to speak is magically taken from her. Her friends and a high school musical help her reclaim her voice.

T

Huge, swooning emotion expressed in word, song and rich animation

he golden age of the Hollywood musical was born in the 1930s. It was a different and more emotionally repressed age—a time of greater social homogeneity, when people put a good face on their problems and kept feelings hidden.

In musicals, song would act as a vehicle for emotional self-expression and feelings were set free in some of the most memorable and beautiful music of the last century. Times have changed but those emotionally repressed environments are far from extinct—the Japanese high school with its uniforms, homogeneity and conformist pressures being a sterling example.

the castle with a beautiful princess she has never seen before. She excitedly tells her mother, who immediately falls silent. The castle is not a magical place; it is a “love hotel” and Jun’s words have just inadvertently destroyed a marriage and her family.

“This is entirely your fault, Jun,” her father tells her as the moving truck takes him out of her life forever. Shortly after, a “fairy egg” visits the weeping girl and seals her ability to speak. The traumatized young Jun can never hurt people with her words again.

This is the leaping-off point of director Tatsuyuki Nagai’s The Anthem of the Heart, a heartbreakingly lovely anime which was nominated for last year’s Japanese Academy Award for Best Animated Film. Earning ¥1.2 billion at the box office, the film obviously resonated with Japanese audiences.

The story then skips forward to the silent and introverted Jun in high school. Her teacher appoints her to the Exchange Committee with classmates Takumi, Daiki and Natsuki, all of whom have their own problems, burying feelings under feigned indifference or the macho swagger of the sports hero.

Jun is a precocious young oshaberi (chatterbox) living in Chichibu City, but in her fevered imagination she inhabits a romantic fantasy world of princes and princesses with an elaborate white castle standing on the hill above the town. One day she is surprised to see her father leaving 32

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They are tasked with creating a school performance. When Jun overhears Takumi distractedly singing a song about an egg in the empty music room she feels he is speaking directly to her heart. She opens up to Takumi—through texts

on her cellphone—and the two decide to collaborate on a musical. Jun realizes that the egg’s curse does not extend to singing and throws herself into writing her own story. Her friends align to help.

What follows is a film of huge, swooning adolescent emotion—set to the music of classic musicals—which will speak to both young audiences and their parents. The animation is simple, bright and crisp and the screenplay invests enough time into its characters that we are happy to make a similar investment. Nagai deftly marries elements of magic with the painful realities of teenage life and broken families.

The message: while hurtful words may never be taken back, we can only truly connect to others if we use our voices to sincerely express what is in our hearts. An open-hearted gem of a film guaranteed to lift the spirits and exercise the tear ducts.

The Anthem of the Heart is scheduled to screen as part of the JCCC’s monthly film program on Sunday, January 29, at 1 pm. For more info, visit jccc.on.ca.

Exploring Japanese sports

By D’arcy Mulligan

ON THE

BALL

Hamming it up: Reviewing the 2016 NPB Season

While the Indians and the Cubs got all the attention over here, long-suffering franchises in Nippon Pro Baseball also had glimmers of hope in 2016.

The 2016 season was one that brought hope to many Major League franchises: the Cleveland Indians made it to the World Series for only the fourth time in 95 years while (SPOILER ALERT!) the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908. However, it wasn’t just moribund North American franchises that saw their fortunes turn.

At the end of the regular season the Hiroshima Toyo Carp finished atop the Central League with a record of 89-52 and later made it to the Japan Series for the first time in 25 years after they defeated the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the Central League Climax Series.

Meeting them in the final were the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters who, after finishing first in the Pacific League at 87-53, dispatched the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Pacific League Climax Series and were looking for their first Japan Series title in 10 years after having lost it in 2007, 2009 and 2012.

The 2016 Japan Series went six games, with the BayStars winning the first two games at

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home but losing the next four in a row to let the title slip away. Making the loss for Hiroshima that much more bitter is that in every single loss they let the Nippon-Ham Fighters come from behind to win.

In terms of individual accomplishments, there was quite a bit to celebrate in Japanese baseball in 2016. Kris Johnson, a pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, became the first foreign-born player to win the Eiji Sawamura Award, Japan’s version of the Cy Young Award, since 1964.

The Central League’s Most Valuable Player award went to a sentimental choice in 39-yearold first baseman Takahiro Arai. Arai, who plays for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, hit .300 with 19 homers and 101 RBI and beat out teammate Seiya Suzuki (a Gold Glove-winning right fielder who hit .335 with 29 home runs and 95 RBI) as well as Yomiuri Giants shortstop Hayato Sakamoto (who hit .344 with 23 homers and 75 RBI). Arai became the secondoldest player to win the award in NPB history.

In the Pacific League, the Most Valuable Player was a far less curious selection. The 22-year-old Shohei Otani won the award with one of the more interesting statistical lines ever seen in an MVP. He hit .322 with 22 home runs and 67 RBI in addition to having a 10-4 record as a pitcher with a 1.86 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 140 innings pitched.

Yes, when Otani pitched he was arguably the best pitcher in the Pacific League—and when he hit, he was possibly its best hitter (he even managed to steal seven bases).

Otani’s story is such that a mere paragraph or two couldn’t possibly do him justice. In fact, to even try to encapsulate the achievements of the most interesting athlete in the world in just a single article would be a fool’s errand.

To read me being foolish I’d suggest you pick up next month’s Bento Box issue, where I weave a tale of a young phenom tempted by riches overseas, his desire to do what hasn’t been done in over 80 years—and the best impression of Babe Ruth that’s ever been done (apologies to John Goodman).

Canadian ballplayers in Japan Over the years many Canadians have made the jump from the Major (and Minor) Leagues to Japan. This season saw two Canadians play in the NPB. After 13 years in the Minors, and a mere 27 games in the Majors, 30-yearold Jamie Romak made his debut in Japan.

Unfortunately his transition to Japan did not go over well: he scraped out only eight hits in 30 games (.113 average).

Romak was benched and is headed back to the Minors next season with San Diego.

Scott Mathieson is a 32-year-old relief pitcher who has been playing in Japan for five seasons. He signed with the Yomiuri Giants in 2012 and has since become a fixture in their bullpen. He has pitched in over 300 games in Japan, averaging over a strikeout per inning, and his success has led to him becoming a regular reliever on the Canadian National Team. Mathieson won his second Most Valuable Middle Reliever award last season and is returning to the Giants next season.

D’arcy Mulligan has written about video games for gaming websites, sports for his blog, and cats anywhere and everywhere he can. He once spent his entire life’s savings on beer at the ball game. It was a very good pint.

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Memoir ࡔ ࡕ ࠕ

By KATHLEEN O’HAGAN

See, there’s something you need to know about teppanyaki restaurants. The steak is really, really good. Like, melt-on-your-tongue, go-for-a-fifthhelping, lick-your-fingers-and-thumbs good.

Think The Keg is tasty? You’ll never look at it the same way after you’ve been to one of these gastronomical havens. Think you don’t like steak?

Come here and be cured.

Illustration by Reiko Ema

The teppanyaki touch

What do teppanyaki chefs and magicians have in common?

A magic touch.

Before I moved to Japan, I would have never used the word “magical” to describe a teppanyaki restaurant. But now that I’ve been lucky enough to visit one on several different occasions, I can honestly say that, each time, the experience had a touch of magic to it. So what types of magic tricks do teppanyaki chefs have up their sleeves? A lot more than you might think. w They make things disappear. My first taste of steak at my first visit to a teppanyaki resto in Japan made my already dwindling desire to become a vegetarian vanish for good.

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Okay, okay. I’ll admit that there are foods other than steak on the menu at a teppanyaki restaurant. There’s typically quite a beautiful assortment of seafood to choose from—those whose pits are more bottomless than mine might even consider getting the “surf and turf” option to double up on the deliciousness. Or, if you are a vegetarian (and want to stay that way), you’ll find they have tons of seasonal veggies they will grill right in front of your eyes. (I’ll admit I probably had some of the best shrimp—and mushrooms!—of my life at a teppanyaki restaurant.)

But here’s the thing: If you want the chef to truly work their magic for you, you’ve got to try the steak.

w They do daring fiery stunts. I actually once watched a chef cooking while engulfed in flames.

(Note: This had more to do with how the food is cooked and the angle from which I was observing the chef, and less about a human who was immune to fire. But it felt like I was watching a magic trick at the time!)

Just don’t go and mix up the Japanese word for “steak” (gyuniku) with “milk” (gyunyu) and order their “most famous gyunyu” over and over while the wait staff stares at you, dumbfounded.

And pointing to a photo of the meat doesn’t help. I guess overcoming language barriers is the one place where these culinary wizards are missing the magic touch.

w They turn you into a bottomless pit. I wouldn’t have been surprised if someone had told me that the chef had literally turned my stomach into a bottomless pit. (What kind of black magic was making me eat more and more, not considering the exorbitant cost or the fact that I needed to unbutton my jeans well before the meal was through?)

KATHLEEN O’HAGAN Kathleen spent years living in and travelling around Japan—and blogging about her adventures while she was at it. Now back in Toronto, Kathleen continues to write about her life-changing experience abroad when she can—in between discovering new and delicious Japanese restaurants in the city, working as a copywriter and raising her baby boy.

ach and ster witwhitsphincheesee..

Baked oy ed mayo, topp

C everyrisizpaand tender kaya-go chicken is er’s favo urite!

Yumi Nishio

Staff

Hospitality at its best

Yumi is a beloved wife and mother who grew up in a restaur ant in Yokohama. She lived with her husband for two years before he finally found out that she ’s a great cook. She got an expens ive university degree so she could be a banker, and a diploma from Sherida n College that she actually uses.

Welcome back to your second home at Kinka Izakaya, where you can always expect a helping of warm service and hearty food.

“

T

ransport yourself to Japan” is Kinka Izakaya’s motto, and the statement couldn’t ring any more true. As I open the door to Kinka, a cheerful greeting of “irasshaimase!” echoes out to greet me. The atmosphere is so familiar and welcoming that it makes me nostalgic—I feel like I’m back at home in Japan, visiting one of my old haunts. For those who are not too familiar with Japanese restaurant terminology, the word irasshaimase is frequently called out when you step into a place of business and it is usually translated into “May I help you?” rather than its original meaning of “welcome.”

However, here at Kinka, there is no doubt that all staff are saying “welcome!” And they mean it.

I get the chance to talk with Shinya, the manager at Kinka’s North York location and sub-area manager for Kinka Group (so, the overseer of all

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Kinka Izakaya locations in the GTA). With clear passion, he tells me that all Kinka staff treat their guests as their family or friends. Their goal is to make the guests’ stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible by providing not only great food for your stomach but also a cheerful atmosphere for your spirits.

Attention to detail and thoughtfulness are everywhere at Kinka. I can give you a simple example: one of the signature dishes, Kaki Mayo, takes a considerably longer time to prepare than the other popular dishes such as karaage (fried chicken).

So what do they do? To shorten the wait time, the wait staff give the kitchen a heads up by shouting out “I’ve got a Kaki Mayo order here!” while they are still by the guest’s table. Shinya says, “If the kitchen waits till the order paper comes in, especially at the busiest time, it will make a dif-

ference of five or ten minutes.” But why does it take so long to start with? “It is because we make everything from scratch. Some dishes are rather more sophisticated than regular pub-style food, and not everything can be premade,” Shinya explains. “Kinka is not just another izakaya. It is like a second home, where you can look forward to a hearty meal. Come in, relax and get re-energized for tomorrow.”

Kinka Izakaya Original 398 Church St., Toronto | TEL: 416-977-0999

Kinka Izakaya Bloor 559 Bloor St. W., Toronto | TEL: 647-343-1101

Kinka Izakaya North York 4775 Yonge St., Unit #114, North York TEL: 647-346-6246 www.kinkaizakaya.com